Wind damage to trees

Protecting your trees from high winds

Some trees are more prone to storm
damage than others, often due to their basic growth habits. A classic
example in the northeastern United States is the Bradford Pear. The
growth habit of the tree causes it to form steep "V-shaped" branch
crotches. This structural weakness, combined with weak wood from rapid growth,
combine to make these ornamental Pears extremely vulnerable to hurricanes or
damage from high winds.

This Bradford Pear was the victim of a summer storm
that was packing high winds. The right half of
the tree split-out at the first major "V-shaped" crotch.

Roots go deep into the ground to firmly anchor a tree, right?

Trees have different root structures
and some, like Oaks, create deep tap roots. However, most trees have
the majority of their roots in the top 12 to 18 inches of the soil.
As some author once said, it's almost as though they "are sitting on
a dime." And when you combine shallow roots with rain-soaked soil, it is
easy to end up with a windthrown tree.

This large evergreen tree was the victim of high
winds and rain-soaked soil. Many people ask if these
trees can be stood back up and staked in place. It
should only be attempted with the most valuable
specimens since success will be limited.

While the roots on this forest giant may have been
broad, they weren't as deep as you may have guessed.

Poor planting techniques can contribute to wind throw

Unfortunately, either to save time or
due to lack of knowledge, many trees have their fates sealed for
them the day they are planted. Synthetic burlap, often called Leno,
is a handy product for nurserymen since it allows them to hold
balled-and-burlapped trees much longer than when the earth balls are
wrapped with burlap. While regular burlap rots away in one year,
synthetic burlap lasts much longer. In most cases, it lasts way too
long if it isn't removed at the time of planting, since it
constricts roots and weakens a tree's resistance to high winds. If
you ever plant a tree with the earth ball wrapped in synthetic
burlap, be sure to cut-away as much of the material as possible,
because it not only constricts future root growth, it can also
girdle (choke) the tree trunk. How do you know if it is synthetic
burlap? The flame from a lighter will cause it to melt like plastic,
instead of burning like cotton fabric.

Synthetic Burlap -
The bane of modern landscaping!

What else
makes my trees more susceptible to storm damage?

Decay - If you see any
sort of conk (mushroom looking structure) growing out of a tree
trunk, it indicates there is decay within the tree trunk. This will
weaken the integrity of the wood in high winds.

Conks on this black locust trunk warn us that there
is decay inside the trunk, making the tree more
susceptible to high winds.

Open cavities on tree trunks with insect-riddled
wood also indicate structural weakness in a tree trunk.

What's the
single most important thing to do that will protect my trees from
hurricanes and high winds?

The one word answer to
that question is THINNING. Picture an old sailing
frigate like the one you saw in the movie "Pirates of the
Caribbean." That sailing vessel had several masts, and each mast
contained several sails. In order to catch the most wind, all the
sails were set so they could catch the wind. Now visualize an
evergreen tree with rows of branches up and down the tree trunk.
These branches are very similar to those sails, each catching some
wind instead of allowing the wind to pass through. The point being,
that if you eliminate some of the branches, the tree will have less
"sails" to catch the wind. If wind can pass through a tree more
easily, it is much less likely to get blown over in high winds.
Therefore, thin your trees to help protect them from tornadoes,
hurricanes and other strong storms.